Strengthening High School Chemistry Education Through Teacher Outreach Programs: A Workshop Summary To The Chemical Sciences Roundtable Workshop Summary To The Chemical Sciences Roundtable Ebrary

A strong chemical workforce in the United States will be essential to the ability to address many issues of societal concern in the future, including demand for renewable energy, more advanced materials, and more sophisticated pharmaceuticals. High school chemistry teachers have a critical role to play in engaging and supporting the chemical workforce of the future, but they must be sufficiently knowledgeable and skilled to produce the levels of scientific literacy that students need to succeed. To identify key leverage points for improving high school chemistry education, the National Academies' Chemical Sciences Roundtable held a public workshop, summarized in this volume, that brought together representatives from government, industry, academia, scientific societies, and foundations involved in outreach programs for high school chemistry teachers. Presentations at the workshop, which was held in August 2008, addressed the current status of high school chemistry education; provided examples of public and private outreach programs for high school chemistry teachers; and explored ways to evaluate the success of these outreach programs. The Workshop Brought Together Representatives Of Government, Industry, Academia, Scientific Societies, And Foundations Who Are Involved In Organizing, Funding, And Delivering In-service Outreach Programs For High School Chemistry Teachers. The Goal Of The Workshop Was To Explore How High School Chemistry Education Could Be Improved Through Teacher Outreach Programs, With A Particular Emphasis On Assessments Of Program Effectiveness. The Workshop Sought Programs That Could Improve The Chemistry Education Of All Students, Not Just Those Pursing A Career In Science. To This End, Presentations At The Workshop Covered The Current Status Of High School Chemistry Education; Provided Examples Of Public And Private Outreach Programs; And Explored How To Evaluate Whether Current Outreach Programs Are Meeting The Needs Of Chemistry Teachers And Students. The Workshop Did Not Attempt To Address The Many Other Issues Related To High School Chemistry Education, Including Pre-service Teacher Training, National Standards, Teacher Compensation, And Teacher Shortages. Cover -- Preface -- Acknowledgment Of Reviewers -- Contents -- 1 Overview -- 2 Science And Science Education In The United States -- 3 The High School Chemistry Teacher: Status And Outlook -- 4 Initiatives By Federal Agencies -- 5 Exemplary Programs -- 6 Activities By Nonprofit And For-profit Organizations -- 7 Future Actions -- Appendixes -- Appendix A: Workshop Agenda -- Appendix B: Biographies -- Appendix C: Poster Abstracts -- Appendix D: Workshop Attendees -- Appendix E: Origin Of And Information On The Chemical Sciences Roundtable Steve Olson, Rapporteur ; Chemical Sciences Roundtable, Board On Chemical Sciences And Technology, Division On Earth And Life Studies, National Research Council. Includes Bibliographical References. Mode Of Access: World Wide Web.